§ MR. MALCOLM (Suffolk, Stowmarket)I beg to ask the President of the. Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that the petty sessional division of Stowmarket has been closed as an infected area; and whether he will take immediate steps to have the restrictions removed, seeing that there has been no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease within a radius of ten miles of the said division.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HANBURY,) PrestonThe Stowmarket, Boxford, and parts of the Melford and Thingoe Petty Sessional Divisions were on February 27th added to the district originally scheduled because outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease had occurred in the west of Ipswich, and within six miles of the boundaries of those of the Stowmarket division. I fully realise the loss and inconvenience which the necessity of arresting the spread of the diseasemust entail upon a scheduled district, and though it would be premature to assume that the outbreak has been entirely suppressed, a case having occurred at Bradford as recently as March 7th. the outlook has, no doubt. 1570 improved, and I hope to be in a position soon to further modify the restrictions.